A LOCHGELLY man who downed a bottle of Buckfast then got behind the wheel of a car has avoided a jail sentence.

Christopher Baxter drove at high speeds through Cowdenbeath trying to escape a police car.

Less than two months later, Baxter was caught driving after being banned.

Baxter, 23, of Stewart Crescent, Lochgelly, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on July 23 last year in Broad Street and High Street, Cowdenbeath, he drove a car dangerously by accelerating to speeds exceeding the speed restriction in an attempt to evade police officers in a marked vehicle.

He also admitted he drove with excess alcohol, his reading being 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22 microgrammes.

On August 18, he failed to appear for a court hearing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Baxter also admitted that on September 6 in Jamphlers Road, Cardenden, he drove while disqualified, drove without insurance and having been involved in a collision he failed to stop.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said: “Police officers were on patrol at 2.40am when they became aware of a car exiting a petrol station into Broad Street.

"They saw him speeding off and followed him activating their blue lights.”

Baxter kept driving and the police were making no ground on him despite travelling at 60mph.

When they did finally stop him they noticed he was smelling of alcohol and his speech was slurred.

“They asked if he had been drinking and he said he ‘had a bottle of Buckie 45 minutes ago’ and then went to the garage to get cigarettes,” said the depute.

He was then stopped in September, driving while disqualified in Cardenden at 8.30am.

Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said: “He went off the rails for a period. He showed poor impulse control in going to the garage. He accepts he’s been foolish.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a restriction of liberty order for seven months and a community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work. He was banned from driving for three years and fined £1,100.